"Greater energy and greater passion is more extraordinary than greater genius."

Lt. General Arjun Ray, PVSM, VSM (Retd)

Personal Details

"Greater energy and greater passion is more extraordinary than greater genius."

Lt. General Arjun Ray (Retired), PVSM, VSM

A soldier-scholar of the Indian Army, Lt. General Arjun Ray has wide-ranging experience in war, conflict management, and social transformation of those who have been alienated.

As CEO of the Indus Trust, he provides the vision and strategic direction to all Indus International Schools. He is also responsible for long-term perspective planning, designing of learning processes, teacher development programmes, integrating parents, children and community, and implementing the Trust's social responsibilities.

Lt. General Arjun Ray is a graduate from the prestigious Staff College at Camberlay, UK, and served as the country's Deputy Military Advisor in London. In his last assignment, he commanded the newly raised 14 Corps in Ladakh. His success in forestalling insurgency in the region by winning over alienated communities into the nation's mainstream has been nationally and internationally acclaimed. As part of Operation Sadbhavana (Goodwill), he set up 13 Sadbhavana schools, 11 Women's Empowerment Centres, and 60 Adult Education Centres for non-literate women along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At his personal initiative, 125 Ladakhi girls received free education and pastoral care in Bangalore colleges.

In recognition of his services in nation-building, he was awarded the Param Vashist Seva Medal, the highest award in the armed forces for distinguished service. His success story in change leadership has been selected as a case study for business and management schools in India.

In his second calling – international school education – he has set up three International Baccalaureate Schools, the Leadership School, and the world's first Equal Opportunity School for children living below the poverty line. The latter is in sync with his belief that schools must have a social objective; they cannot just be centres of academic excellence. IB World has recently acclaimed the General as one of the six IB World School Leaders on rethinking education, especially by making high quality education affordable to the poor.

The General has three interests – reading, writing, and speaking on leadership themes. His first book, The Psychology of Military, is a purple primer in understanding the mind and motivation of a terrorist. The second book, Peace is Everybody's Business, is a treatise in conflict prevention. The book is inspired by authors' success in bringing lasting peace in Ladakh.

An exemplary learner-teacher-leader: General Ray's vision and strategies continue to improve, drive and go where others used to follow.